News Posts

After more than a year of restoration work, the classic habitat dioramas in the Hall of North American Mammals, which reopens this Saturday, seem more vibrant and realistic than ever. Below, the last in a series of posts on new science behind the hall, this one on the diorama of the Alaska brown bear, found at the heart of the Hall of North American Mammals.

Did the Maya really predict that the world would end on December 21, 2012? Learn the true story behind this rumor, as noted hieroglyphics expert Mark Van Stone, author of “2012: Science and Prophecy of the Ancient Maya,” unlocks the secrets of the complex Mayan calendars.

The talk, which took place at the Museum on October 10, 2012, was hosted by Hayden Planetarium Director Neil DeGrasse Tyson.

Ever since his childhood, Theodore Roosevelt had a sharp eye for natural history and a love for the outdoors. When he became President in 1901, he was poised to use his lifelong passion for wildlife and wilderness to direct public policy; while in office, he launched programs that would eventually protect 230 million acres of land.

After more than a year of restoration work, the classic habitat dioramas in the Hall of North American Mammals, which reopens this fall, seem more vibrant and realistic than ever. While the diorama scenes haven’t changed, decades of scientific research and discovery are offering new insight into the stories they tell. Below, the second in a series of posts, this one about coyotes and wolves, on the new science behind the hall.